24 September 2018

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Azkals step up on their buildup for the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup and 2019 Asian Cup with more overseas sorties next month, seeing action in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup in Bangladesh and playing Oman during separate training camp in Qatar.

Azkals manager Dan Palami said coach Scott Cooper will give players who weren’t part of the pool that earlier trained in Bahrain and played against the Bahrainis last month a chance to prove themselves in the Oct. 1-12 Bangabandhu Cup against host Bangladesh, Asian Cup campaigner Palestine, Laos, Nepal and Tajikistan.

The rest of the mainstays will fly to Qatar for training from Oct. 8-15 with a friendly against the Omanis on Oct. 13.

“The players who will go to Bangladesh will be the ones whom the coach would want to see play, the new players and the comebacking players who weren’t called up in the first camp (Bahrain). We proceed to Qatar on the 8th to hold a camp there and play against Oman on the 13th. That’s the next phase of our preparations,” Palami said.

Newly installed Cooper previously held his first camp with the Azkals in Bahrain, where the team battled the Bahrainis to a 1-1 draw.

“It was a very successful, productive training camp in Bahrain. Considering we only had two days training session before the game, we did well and drew with Bahrain, and there’s good reason to be optimistic. Right now, since bago ang coach, we’re still in the process of selecting the final lineup but it looks good because there’ s a bigger pool of talents we’ll be choosing from,” said Palami.

Phl handed the coaching reins to Cooper, originally the team’s adviser, following the withdrawal of Terry Butcher.

“We only had two training sessions before the (Bahrain) game maganda naman ang result. Players understand what’s supposed to be done,” said Palami, whose wards are out for redemption in the Nov. 8-Dec. 15 Suzuki Cup after missing the semis in 2016 and look forward to making a memorable debut in the Asia’s showpiece tournament slated Jan. 5-Feb. 1, 2019 in the UAE.

The Philippines Girls Under-16 Team clinched their place to the second round of the AFC U16 Women’s Championship 2019 Qualifiers as one of the best second placed teams despite a 1-5 loss to Myanmar, last Sunday 23 September 2018 at the Halchowk Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Mikaela Villacin scored for the Philippines in the 62nd minute. The forward, who hails from Cadiz City, was sent free by a through pass and before slotting it in to the back of the net.

The Philippines finished Group E in second place with six points having won their matches over Nepal (4-0) and Malaysia (1-0).

Head coach Joyce Landagan and assistant coaches Marielle Benitez and Eleonora Dillera were over the moon after securing qualification to the second round. The Philippines is one of the three best second placed teams at the end of the group stage and will join China PR, Laos, IR Iran, Australia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Vietnam in the next round.

“We’re very happy that we qualified, it was a surreal feeling especially as Myanmar and Malaysia were the favorites to go through, but the players showed heart and worked their way to win their matches,” said Landagan. “It’s fulfilling and I’m happy because in the span of two weeks, we were successful in molding them into a team, a sisterhood and that was the deciding factor on the pitch.”

“We’re really proud of how this team performed in the tournament,” said Benitez, who served as head coach in the AFF U16 Girls’ Championship 2018 last May. “We’re very happy that we made it through to the next round and are already excited to continue our preparation for next year.”

“Youth football is going in the right direction,” added Dillera. “We are so proud of what the team has achieved despite the obstacles. I think it is a well deserved win.”

PFF general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes congratulated the team on a successful qualifying campaign in Nepal.

“We congratulate the Philippines Girls Under-16 Team for qualifying to the second round of the AFC U16 Women’s Championship 2019 Qualifiers as one of the best second placed teams,” said Gastanes. “The team showed grit, determination, and heart in all of their matches. We wish them the best of luck as they continue on to the next round.”

The second round of the qualifiers will be held on 23 February until 3 March 2019. The teams will be grouped into two groups of four with the group winners and runners up qualifying to the final round on September 2019.

22 September 2018

Ceres-Negros bowed out of the Copa Paulino Alcantara after losing to the Davao Aguilas 1-2 last September 22 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila. Wesley Dos Santos and Phil Younghusband scored for the home team while Mike Ott added another for the visitors.

It was Davao who had the best chance in the first fifteen minutes when Matt Hartmann picked out Jason de Jong in a forward position but the designated number ten could only see in point blank shot go wide.

The Aguilas went ahead when Dos Santos redirected the corner towards goal from a very narrow angle. Roland Muller seemed to have handled the ball but it was adjudged by the referee to have crossed the line in the 16th minute.

Ceres-Negros had their first chance minutes later when Omid Nazari lined up for a free kick but his attempt didn’t have enough power to bother Patrick Deyto. The busmen took control of the remaining minutes of the half which produced a lot of chances but disciplined defending from the home squad saw Davao with the 1-0 lead at the break.

It went from bad to worse for Ceres after the break when a deep cross in the box bounced towards the arms of Junior Munoz which forced the referee to point at the spot. Younghusband stepped forward and converted to make it 2-0 after fourty seven minutes.

Negros pulled a goal back minutes later courtesy of Mike Ott who ran into the box and volleyed in the corner of older brother Manny to make it 2-1 in the 53rd.

Things became interesting at the hour mark when a retaliation from Blake Powell to Dos Santos saw both player getting yellows with the Brazilian marching out for his second bookable offense.

Ceres-Negros tried to make use of the man advantage but the deep backline of Davao only allowed the busmen to take shots from outside the box with most going off target. Martin Steuble had the best chance to equalize in the 83rd but his stinger of a shot was tamed by the keeper.

Davao almost got a third in injury time but Muller sprung from his line to cover a Phil Younghusband counterattack. The final whistle blew with Davao taking a seat in the cup semifinals.

“We did everything in this game but its not enough,” said Ceres assistant Ian Treyes. With the result, I hope that the next we can assess our performance so we can prepare for our next tournament. We are just happy that we finished the game with no serious injuries.”

“At the start of this campaign, you can already see from our roster that most of our players are on the injured list. We tried our best to perform a hundred-and-one percent in this cup but it wasn’t enough,” he added.

Ceres-Negros will now take break after twenty months of consecutive football since February of 2017. They will start their 2019 campaign on February in the preliminary stages of the AFC Champions League.

September 21, 2018; Manila — Just days after dispatching of JPV Marikina, Kaya FC–Iloilo returns to Copa Paulino Alcantara action on Sunday against Global Cebu. The match is Kaya’s third in the cup competition, and will take place at 7pm at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Having won its opening pair of games in Group B, Kaya has the opportunity on Sunday to solidify its position atop the group and make a vital step to securing a semifinal game in front of their home support in Iloilo.

“We’re not really choosing a team from the other side to play in the semifinals. Our priority is to top the group and play our semifinal in Iloilo. Whoever will be number two in the other side, we don’t care. We just want to play in Iloilo,” said Kaya FC–Iloilo head coach Noel Marcaida.

Although Kaya scored a 4-0 win over Cebu on opening day of the Copa, Marcaida isn’t overlooking Sunday’s opponents, especially as he’ll be forced to shuffle his lineup.

“We have players who are suspended for the game. Chy [Villaseñor] will be suspended. We have to make sure that we give enough recovery for our defensive line as well,” said Noel. “We might introduce some players in defensive positions which they haven’t played in a while. But the most important thing is securing that game. We need to make sure the players stay focused and maximize the rest in the quick turnaround.”

Having struggled to score against Marikina on Wednesday, Marcaida hopes the team will return to clinical form.

“I’m looking forward to hopefully having a different outcome in terms of our finishing. We’ll be working on finishing because I think that was the biggest problem in our game against JPV,” he said.

21 September 2018

Ceres-Negros tries to keep its semifinal chances alive when the face the Davao Aguilas on their final group match in the Copa Paulino Alcantara on September 22 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.

A mistake heavy match saw the Busmen go down to Davao 1-3 in their opening cup match last September 1 at the Rizal Memorial. Defensive errors resulted to goals also against an also shorthanded Aguilas squad.

The Busmen however redeemed themselves in the third group game when they overcame a one-goal deficit to finish with a 2-1 victory over Stallion.

Blake Powell’s prodigious strike cancelled out a Jess Melliza goal in the first half to impressively put the Negros squad ahead. An impressive buildup allowed Manny Ott to bundle home the winner in the 84th minute.

Ceres assistant Ian Treyes is looking forward to their final group match as he hopes to build on the momentum for the do-or-die match.

“Everyone is willing to take the last two games so that we can qualify to the semifinal. Obviously we are missing some of our players also but hopefully we can continue our good performance after this win,” said Treyes.

Ceres are still missing some key players because of injuries but have gotten some help from the bench from the likes of Alfe Sebuha and Junior De Murga who made their debut in the last match. Super Herrera is expected to return after serving out his suspension.

The Negros squad will be keen to continue its good form leading into their final group assignment in the first edition of the cup.

“For the last group game, we just want to enjoy it first of all. It’s been along season. You get tired after a while but the most important is that you still enjoy the game. So we’re definitely looking forward to the last game. We want to give our best. Whatever the outcome is, we want to go out and be proud of ourselves,” said midfielder Manny Ott.

Though still at the bottom of the three team group, Ceres-Negros are level on points against the other teams and a win will put them in temporary first place and will help their cause of reaching the semifinal.

The match will be streamed live on PFLtv.ph and will kickoff at 4pm. Admission is free for all fans.

The Philippines Girls Under-16 claimed their second straight win in the AFC U16 Women’s Championship 2019 Qualifiers after a late 1-0 win over Malaysia last Friday 21 September 2018 at the Halchowk Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Keanne Alamo, who scored in the 4-0 win over Nepal last Wednesday, netted the winning goal in the 81st minute.

The Philippines remained unbeaten in the qualifiers with two wins heading to the final qualifier match against Myanmar on Sunday 23 September 2018 at the same venue. Kick off is at 11:45 AM local time (1:45 PM Manila time). Only the top team from each group, along with the two best second placed teams will advance to the next round on February.

20 September 2018

The Philippines Girls Under-16 Team began their AFC U16 Women’s Championship Qualifiers Round 1 campaign with a 4-0 win over Nepal last Wednesday 19 September 2018 at the Halchowk Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Captain Maria Lazo netted two goals in 42nd and 45th minutes to give the Philippines a 2-0 lead at half-time.

Keanne Alamo made it 3-0 in the 76th minute before Mikaela Villacin completed the rout with the Philippines’ fourth goal in the 82nd minute.

The win put the Philippines on top of Group E with 3 points, only ahead of second placed Myanmar on goal difference. The top team from each group, along with two best second placed teams, will advance to the second round of the qualifiers in February.

The Philippines will face Malaysia in the second match of the qualifiers on Friday 21 September 2018 also in the same venue. Kick off is at 11:30 AM local time (1:45 PM Manila time).

18 September 2018

The Philippines Girls Under-16 National Team will compete in the AFC U16 Women’s Championship 2019 Qualifiers Round 1 from 19-23 September 2018 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The Philippines are grouped with host Nepal, Malaysia, and Myanmar in Group E. The top team in each group at the end of the qualifiers, along with the two best second placed teams, will advance to the second round of the qualifiers which will be held in February 2019. The final round, which also serves as qualifiers for the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, will be held in Thailand in in September 2019.

Team head coach Joyce Landagan is assisted by assistant coaches Marielle Benitez and Eleonora Dillera, and physiotherapist Anna Liza Demegillo. The team’s technical adviser is former Philippine Women’s National Team head coach Letecia Bautista

“I’m excited, it’s a new batch, a new challenge, the potential is there. We just need to perform and be composed, and I’m excited to see them play in the qualifiers,” said Landagan. “If we play as a team, we will work hard maybe we will get the result that we want.”

“We wish the Philippines Girls Under-16 team the best of luck in the AFC U16 Women’s Championship 2019 Qualifiers Round 1,” said PFF general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes. “This tournament is the first step on the road to the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.”

21 players will represent the team in the qualifiers, 15 were part of the Marielle Benitez-coached Philippines Girls U16 team in the AFF U16 Girls’ Championship 2018 held in Palembang, Indonesia last May 2018.

The team trained at the PFF National Training Center inside the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite and had tune up matches with several school teams in the run up to the qualifiers.

The team left for Nepal last Thursday 13 September 2018. The matches will be shown via live-streaming at mycujoo.tv.

Ceres-Negros FC attempts to salvage their Copa Paulino Alcantara campaign when they face Stallion Laguna for their home match on September 19 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.

The busmen are in the bottom of Group A after losing their first two matches in the competition.

An error-filled performance in the opening match pushed them to a 3-1 defeat against the Aguilas while they bowed to a fresher and more determined Stallion squad in their noontime clash last Saturday in Binan.

The Negros squad were pressed heavily by the Laguna Side who played their last competitive match last August 25 where they lost 4-1 in Panaad.

Balot Doctora and Jess Melliza were the goalscorers but the rest of the Stallion attack were relentless in picking out the Ceres defense which helped them run away with a 3-0 victory.

Some key players are still unavailable for the cup after getting treatment from injuries incurred in the last few months. Kevin Ingreso, Jeffrey Christaens, OJ Porteria, and Sean Kane are still recover and will not be available in the match.

Super Herrera is suspended for the midweek clash after getting two yellow cards against Stallion. Bienvenido Maranon will be available for the Bacolod-based squad after getting red in the first match versus Davao.

In order to have a chance to reach the semifinal, the reigning PFL champions will need to win their last two matches and hope for favorable results in the other fixtures in Group A.

Kickoff is scheduled at 7PM for Ceres-Stallion while a Kaya-JPV fixture will precede the match at 4pm. Tickets will be available at the gate and will already cover for both matches.

The full match will be streamed live at PFLtv.ph while the first half will be made available via the Philippines Football League Facebook page.

Ceres-Negros succumbed to a 0-3 defeat against an inspired Stallion Laguna last September 15 at the Binan Football Stadium Laguna. Jess Mellizza scored a brace while Ruben Doctora Jr. added a goal for the home squad.

Stallion went to a flying start pressing Ceres hard and earning a couple of shots in the first five minutes. Melliza and Doctora had their own chances early but the Ceres defense was there for the block.

The home squad was relentless especially on the break which forced Roland Muller to two consecutive saves midway in the half. The veteran foiled a Nic Ferrer shot from wide with a leg save and miraculously clipped a long range volley from Melliza that was set to go in.

Laguna would not be denied in the 24th minute when Doctora pounced on a rebound before he buried the ball to the bottom corner for the opener. They almost doubled the lead from point blank with Melliza but Muller was again there to block the danger.

Ceres had their best and only chance in the half when Blake Powell eluded the Stallion defense but Stallion import Ko Kyunjoon chased the Aussie for the last second tackle.

Stallion made it 2-0 minutes before halftime when a well timed run allowed Yannick Tuazon to break the trap before he passed towards a streaking Melliza who made no mistake. The home squad finished the half with a commanding 2-0 advantage

The Laguna-based squad picked up where they left off in the first half and scored seven minutes after the restart when substitute Fitch Arboleda initiated a counter that allowed him to lay-off to Melliza who completed his brace and Stallion’s third goal.

Things went from bad to worse when Super Herrera pulled Tuazon down on a counter which earned him a second yellow and a trip to the dressing room.

Ceres-Negros tried to recover with the introduction of some players in the second half but the man and goal deficits were too much allowing Stallion to walk away with the big victory.

“We know Stallion would give a hundred percent and more in this match. They always have a good performance every time we play them here in Binan. ” said Ceres assistant Ian Treyes.

“Unfortunately, some of our players came from Bahrain so the preparation was not enough. Hopefully we can do much better in the next game with everybody present,” Treyes added.

Ceres-Negros will need to do so much better in their final matches after dropping their second straight assignment in the cup. They will need to overcome their final two matches against Stallion and Davao to have a chance in reaching the semis of the tournament,

The busmen will again face Stallion on September 19 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila. Kickoff is scheduled to start at 7PM.

13 September 2018

Roland Müller returned to Ceres-Negros midway in the season with one goal, to earn titles for the Negros based squad.

The prolific keeper did just that after contributing good performances late in the league to clinch their second league title but a false start in the cup left a bitter taste in the former national player.

“Last game, we were very unlucky,” said the veteran shot stopper when they played the Davao Aguilas in the Copa opener. “We started well but with two individual faults, we invited Davao for two goals and after it was tough to find our way back.”

Ceres-Negros fell against a makeshift Davao squad to a 1-3 scoreline with all opposing goals coming from mistakes in the back line. The league champions are looking to redeem themselves when they play a tough Stallion squad on Saturday.

“We are looking forward to do the things better, which we didn’t do against Davao,” said Müller. “To play good football, keep the ball in our line and if we get the opportunity to score we will do.”

Müller and company are keen to bounce back when they face the dangerous Stallion Laguna squad on September 15. They are looking to continue their unbeaten run against the Laguna squad to keep their cup dreams alive.

“We won the last game against them 4-1. We played good football. This should be our goal, play our game and win the next match,” he added.

Müller and Ceres-Negros may have stumbled in the first match but expect them to be at their best when they continue in their quest to make history in the country’s first professional cup competition.

SAYED Reza Isa fired in a last-gasp equaliser to help Bahrain escape with a thrilling 1-1 draw against the Philippines last night in an international friendly match played at National Stadium in Riffa.

After Philippine captain Phil Younghusband opened the scoring early in the second half with a penalty, the Bahrainis pushed hard to level the proceedings and did well to create several chances before the end of regulation. They could not come up with the finishing ball, however, until the seventh and final minute of stoppage time, when Isa rewarded his team for their perseverance with a goal from close range with what was virtually their final kick of the game.

The tune-up was part of both teams’ preparations for upcoming competitions, including the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, which is scheduled for this coming January.

It was the Bahrainis’ first of two friendlies over the next week. They are also set to face China in their other exhibition encounter on Monday at the same venue.

Last night’s game took place under humid conditions and its effects were evident from the outright as both teams got off to slow starts.

The first half was a generally dull affair with no clear-cut chances for either side. Bahrain’s Jamal Rashed wasted one opportunity; he should have done better with his shot in the first quarter-hour after being set up by teammate Sayed Dhiya Saeed on the edge of the area. But his left-footed attempt was well off the mark, failing to trouble the Philippines’ English Premier League goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.

The contest was goalless at the break, but that quickly changed just three minutes after the re-start when Younghusband was sent tumbling in the box by Waleed Al Hayam as he received a pass in front of goal from fellow-Filipino Stephan Schrock.

The Emirati referee did not hesitate to call the foul and Younghusband picked himself up to take the spot kick. The popular striker made no mistake with his powerful attempt, which he sent straight into the bottom-left corner of the net.

Now facing a deficit, the hosts raised their level of play. Ahmed Moosa missed a glorious chance in the 79th minute. Abdulla Abdo curled in a precision pass into the area which was back-heeled by Mahdi Abduljabbar to a charging Moosa. But Moosa failed to take advantage of his perfect position in front of goal and misfired above the crossbar.

Abduljabbar then had a chance only minutes later, but the Filipinos did well to block his attempt and clear the ball from danger.

In the 84th minute, Rashed had a free-kick from a couple of yards outside the box go inches wide of the left post. Then, in the early minutes of added time, Abdo had a volley travel well off the mark.

That set the stage for Isa’s end-game heroics. In a wild sequence, Abduljabbar had a poor shot stopped and an Abdo effort was blocked but the ball could not be controlled by Etheridge. Isa then pounced on the rebound and sent the ball home into an empty net.

06 September 2018

By KevinEstradaMANILA--The Philippines have endured the heat of the Middle East as they let their cherished lead slip through their grasp, forcing them to share the spoils with Bahrain with a 1-1 draw in Riffa, Thursday evening (early Friday morning Manila time).OI his managerial debut, Scott Cooper will have to wait until October to get his first win after seeing their second half lead being canceled out with the final kick of the match.

Both sides had their chances squandered by bad ball control in which they came close inside the box in the opening half as they enter the break goalless.

Amani Aguinaldo had to be replaced in the 36th minute by Paul Mulders in what could have been a perplexed change as the nagging knee injuries took a toll on the lone pure centre-half in the squad by Scott Cooper.

Quickly into the restart, the Azkals got first on the board when Phil Younghusband got his number 51 with a spot kick that was tucked in to his favorite left corner, the third straight instance of his penalties this year.

The hosts have tried to get back into the game but had their shots being charged down by the back-line now led by Carli De Murga and Daisuke Sato with Angel Guirado making his return to the fold.

But Bahrain knocked in the equalizer right at the seventh and final added minute to split the points in a dramatic fashion.

BAHRAIN’S senior men’s national football team are set to play a pair of international friendly matches over the next week and a half.

The Bahrainis first take on their counterparts from the Philippines on Thursday and then on Monday next week suit up to face China.

Both games are to be held at the National Stadium in Riffa with a 7pm kick-off. Entrance is free for both friendlies.

The Philippines team are scheduled to arrive in Bahrain today.

Amongst the top names reported to be joining their squad in Bahrain are Filipino-British players Neil Etheridge and Luke Woodland. Etheridge is a goalkeeper who plays for English Premier League side Cardiff City and Woodland is a midfielder who now plies his trade in Thailand but was once a player with Bolton Wanderers and Oldham Athletic.

Joining them are Filipino-Spanish player Alvaro Silva who plays as a professional in Malaysia, Fil-Iranian player Amin Nazari who plays in Finland and Fil-German Stephan Schrock who was once a mainstay in the Bundesliga and who also played for Germany’s junior and youth national teams. Popular brothers Phil and James Younghusband are also set to be in Bahrain.

The Filipinos are coached by the newly signed Irishman Scott Cooper.

The Chinese, meanwhile, are also expected to bring a full squad to Bahrain for their friendly match. They are coached by former Juventus, Inter and Italian national team manager Marcello Lippi, who is one of the most respected tacticians in the world.

Bahrain’s national team had recently returned from the Czech Republic where they had a camp under head coach Miroslav Soukup, who has named 24 players to prepare for the friendlies.

These tune-ups are part of the Bahrainis’ preparations for their upcoming tournaments, including the AFC Asian Cup 2019 in January in the UAE.

The roster features Sayed Dhiya Saeed, who plays professionally in Kuwait; Sayed

The Bahrainis have been drawn in Group ‘A’ for the Asian Cup alongside tournament hosts UAE, India and Thailand. Group ‘B’ comprises Australia, Jordan, Palestine and Syria. Group ‘C’ features China, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines. Group ‘D’ includes Iran, Iraq, Vietnam and Yemen. Group ‘E’ is composed of North Korea, Lebanon, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Group ‘F’ includes Japan, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The AFC Asian Cup 2019 will be Bahrain’s sixth participation in the continental showcase. Their best finish was in 2004, when they claimed fourth place overall out of 16 participating teams. In the previous edition in 2015 held in Australia, the Bahrainis failed to make it past the group stage after losing two of their three games.

Bahrain will be featuring in the inaugural match of the Asian Cup in the 43,000-capacity Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi. It will on January 5 against hosts UAE.

04 September 2018

The campaign for AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 and the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 begins this month as the Philippines Men’s National Team face Bahrain in a FIFA International Friendly Match scheduled on Thursday 6 September 2018 at the Bahrain National Stadium in Riffa, Bahrain.
The team is led by new head coach Scott Cooper, who hails from England and had prior coaching stints in Thailand and Indonesia. He is assisted by Chris Greatwich and Steve Marsella.
Midfielder Stephan Schrock returns to the squad. Defender Amani Aguinaldo and midfielder Luke Woodland also make their national team return after injury.
Angel Guirado was also called up to the squad. The midfielder was part of the team that participated in the CTFA International Tournament last December 2017. Ceres Negros FC forward Curt Dizon is also included in the squad.
The first batch of the team left for Bahrain last Monday 3 September 2018 with the rest of the squad to follow.
Squad:

02 September 2018

The tournament, organised by the BFF, will be held from October 1 to 12 across two venues – Bangabandhu National Stadium and Sylhet District Stadium

Bangladesh have been grouped together with Philippines and Laos in Pool B as the draw ceremony of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup International Football Tournament 2018 took place Saturday at a city hotel in Dhaka.

Group A comprises Palestine, Nepal and Tajikistan.

The tournament, organised by the BFF, will be held from October 1 to 12 across two venues – Bangabandhu National Stadium and Sylhet District Stadium.

State Minister for Youth and Sports, Sree Biren Sikder MP, BFF president Kazi Salahuddin, senior vice president Abdus Salam Murshedy, vice president Kazi Nabil Ahmed MP and general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag were present among others during the draw ceremony.